It's time. Defensive tackle Matt Elam, a five-star prospect according to 247Sports, will announce his college choice -- expected to be either Alabama or Kentucky -- at 11 a.m. Central.

A 6-foot-5, 350-pound nose guard from Elizabethtown (Ky.) John Hardin, Elam was highly coveted by both programs. He was viewed as a potential centerpiece in Alabama's three man-front similar to Terrence Cody, the space-eater up front so essential to effective operation of the 3-4. In Kentucky, he was viewed as even more of a centerpiece -- the focal point of a surprisingly strong recruiting class around which Mark Stoops plans to rebuild the Wildcats' program.

There are three hats on the table: An Alabama cap, A Kentucky helmet and a John Hardin helmet.

He is a five-star prospect according to 247Sports, which rates him as the No. 3 defensive tackle in the nation, but only a three-star according to Rivals.com, which rates him as the No. 5 prospect in the state of Kentucky.

Alabama has three other defensive tackles committed in its 2014 class, including two who could project as nose guards -- O.J. Smith of Bossier City (La.) Airline and Josh Frazier of Springdale (Ark.) Har-Ber.

See live streaming of Elam's announcement here, courtesy of the Louisville Courier-Journal: